MediaFaro Magazine

The Ig Nobel prizes are moving to Europe because the US is ‘unsafe’ to visit.

The awards, which celebrate the sillier side of science, have held raucous ceremonies that see the winners showered with paper aeroplanes at universities in Massachusetts since 1991.

The 36th edition will be held in the Swiss city of Zurich on 3 September.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260310-the-ig-nobel-prizes-are-moving-to-europe-because-the-us-is-unsafe-to-visit?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#IgNobel #Science #Switzerland #Europe

Blinded by the flag: Banksy confirms a new statue in London is his work.

Banksy has confirmed that the large statue of a suited man blinded by his own flag and walking off a plinth is his work.

It appeared in central London Wednesday night.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260430-blinded-by-the-flag-banksy-confirms-a-new-statue-in-london-is-his-work?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Banksy #Art #London #Statue #UK #StreetArt

The earliest known English poem has been found in an unexpected place.

A 9th-century manuscript held in Rome has revealed the earliest known Old English poem, Caedmon’s Hymn, hidden within a copy of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-the-earliest-known-english-poem-has-been-found-in-an-unexpected-place?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#English #Poetry #Library #Rome #Literature #History #UK #Italy #OldEnglish

In 1913, Sigmund Freud, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Josip Tito, and Adolf Hitler all lived in Vienna.

Then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the city attracted the ambitious from across Europe, including many that would later become historical figures.

#FactOfTheDay #Vienna #History

A huge study of ancient British DNA reveals only minor Roman influence.

Genetic analysis of 1039 people buried in Britain between the Bronze Age and the Norman conquest highlights the impact of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings on the island’s ancestry.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260511-a-huge-study-of-ancient-british-dna-reveals-only-minor-roman-influence?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#UK #Archaeology #Genetics #DNA #RomanEmpire #History #Science #BronzeAge #NormanConquest #AngloSaxons #Vikings

On this day in 330, Constantine I dedicates Byzantium as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

On this day in 1189, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and 100 000 crusaders depart for the Third Crusade.

On this day in 1800, naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck gives his first lecture outlining his theories of evolution.

On this day in 1998, the first Euro coins are minted in Bordeaux, 3½ years before they become legal tender.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

Human-free forests (barely) exist.

Modern civilisation is everywhere: the idea of untouched, pristine nature feels like a dream from the past – and yet, there are still places in Europe where human interference is minimal, and conditions resemble those we would have if humans had never existed.

These are primary and old-growth forests.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260407-human-free-forests-barely-exist?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Forests #Europe #Nature #Biodiversity

On this day in 756, Abd-al-Rahman I becomes emir of Córdoba in Spain.

On this day in 1536, Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury.

On this day in 1618, Johannes Kepler discovers the third of his three laws of planetary motion.

On this day in 1648, Spain acknowledges Dutch sovereignty by ratifying the Peace of Münster.

On this day in 1958, the Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

The Faroe Islands are home to the world’s first undersea roundabout.

It’s part of Eysturoyartunnilin, a 11 km tunnel network between two of the islands.

The roundabout, nicknamed “the jellyfish”, features an illuminated artwork by Tróndur Patursson.

#FactOfTheDay #FaroeIslands #Infrastructure

A portrait looted by Nazis was found in the home of a Dutch SS leader’s descendants.

The painting is believed to have been plundered by high-ranking Nazi Hermann Goering during World War Two.

It had belonged to Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, who died while fleeing the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in 1940, leaving behind a collection of more than 1000 paintings.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260511-a-portrait-looted-by-nazis-was-found-in-the-home-of-a-dutch-ss-leaders-descendants?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Art #Nazis #WW2 #Goudstikker #Painting #Netherlands

Dyrehavsbakken (“Bakken”) in Denmark is the oldest operating amusement park in the world.

The park near Copenhagen opened in 1583 as a “pleasure garden”, the forerunners of amusement parks that used to be common in mediaeval Europe.

#FactOfTheDay #AmusementPark #Denmark

On this day in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII announces the Gregorian calendar, now the world’s most widely used calendar.

On this day in 1918, Estonia declares independence from Russia.

On this day in 1920, the Nazi Party (NSDAP) is founded in the Hofbräuhaus beer hall in Munich, Germany.

On this day in 2020, Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, six years after the annexation of Crimea.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

On this day in 1796, country doctor Edward Jenner administers the first vaccine, for smallpox, laying the foundation of immunology.

On this day in 1940, Rotterdam is bombed by Germany in WW2, destroying the historic city centre and leading The Netherlands to surrender.

On this day in 1955, the Warsaw Pact, a mutual defence treaty, is signed by Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Soviet Union.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

Peacocks take over a northern Italian beach town.

More than 100 peacocks have spread through the seaside town of Punta Marina, where residents are trying to manage the growing population without harming the birds.

The peacocks now wander through streets, perch on balconies and gather along the beach, becoming an unusual part of daily life in the coastal community.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-peacocks-take-over-a-northern-italian-beach-town?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Peacocks #Italy #Animals

On this day in 1926, the Italian-built airship Norge becomes the first aircraft to fly over the North Pole.

On this day in 1941, Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world’s first working programmable and fully automatic computer, in Berlin.

On this day in 1949, the Soviet Union lifts its blockade of Berlin after allies successfully supply the city during the Berlin Airlift.

On this day in 1965, Soviet spacecraft Luna 5 crashes on the Moon.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

Ewine van Dishoeck, astronomer: ‘We are the first generation who can bring the question of life on other planets from the realm of philosophy into real science’.

The Dutch astrochemist visited Barcelona to take part in Cosmocaixa’s ‘Greats of Science’ series.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260510-ewine-van-dishoeck-astronomer-we-are-the-first-generation-who-can-bring-the-question-of-life-on-other-planets-from-the-realm-of-philosophy-into-real-science?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Space #Astronomy #Chemistry #Science #AlienLife

On 3 December 1992, engineer Neil Papworth sent the world’s first SMS text message, to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis.

While at the office Christmas party, Jarvis’ Orbitel 901 handset received the “Merry Christmas” SMS sent from a computer by test engineer Papworth.

#FactOfTheDay #SMS #Tech

Stone Age symbols may push back the earliest form of writing.

Stone Age people in Europe 40 000 years ago, tens of thousands of years before the emergence of a full writing system, used a simple form of writing comparable in complexity to the earliest stages of the world’s first writing system, cuneiform, according to a study of mysterious signs engraved on figurines and other artefacts found in Germany.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260223-stone-age-symbols-may-push-back-the-earliest-form-of-writing?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Archaeology #StoneAge #Cuneiform #Language #History #Germany

The forgotten Al Bowlly: The singer, killed by Nazi bombs, now celebrated by King Charles III and Dua Lipa.

Few people know his name, but his voice and songs are famous in popular culture, thanks to films like ‘The Shining’ and hit songs like ‘My Woman.’

Today, pop stars like Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey count themselves as fans.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260222-the-forgotten-al-bowlly-the-singer-killed-by-nazi-bombs-now-celebrated-by-king-charles-iii-and-dua-lipa?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#AlBowlly #Music #Singer #DuaLippa #LanaDelRey #KingCharlesIII #StanleyKubrick #History #UK

On this day in 1241, the First Mongol invasion of Poland overwhelms Kraków.

On this day in 1871, the Commune of Paris, an insurrection of Parisians against the French government, begins.

On this day in 1902, legendary opera tenor Enrico Caruso, one of the first musicians to document his voice, makes his first phonograph recording.

On this day in 1906, the first monoplane, flown by Romanian inventor Traian Vuia, makes a flight of 12 metres.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

On this day in 1635, the Académie Française, an official authority on the French language, is formed.

On this day in 1797, the last invasion of Britain is launched by the French near Fishguard in Wales.

On this day in 1997, scientists announce that sheep ‘Dolly’ has been successfully cloned.

On this day in 2014, Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych is impeached following widespread protests after he abandoned an EU association agreement.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

‘A joyful day’: the final piece of Sagrada Familia’s central tower is put in place.

The completion of a glass cross brings Antoni Gaudí’s church to the maximum final height of 172.5m, 144 years after work began.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260220-a-joyful-day-the-final-piece-of-sagrada-familias-central-tower-is-put-in-place?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Architecture #AntoniGaudi #Barcelona #Culture #Spain #Gaudi

How ultra-processed foods affect our gut microbiome.

The additives added to processed food to keep it fresher for longer might be having an unexpected effect on the health of the microbes in our guts.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260221-how-ultra-processed-foods-affect-our-gut-microbiome?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#UltraprocessedFoods #Gut #Health #Microbiome #Bacteria #Biology #Food #UPF

How toddlers in Finland’s ‘language nests’ are saving an endangered Sámi language.

Special nurseries are helping the Sámi people in Finland to bring their almost-lost language back from the brink of extinction.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260219-how-toddlers-in-finlands-language-nests-are-saving-an-endangered-sami-language?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Sami #Language #Finland #InariSami #Education #Arctic

Is this the world’s most eye-popping restaurant? The architectural marvel – in a Leipzig industrial estate.

This extraordinary diner is the final wonder of the great Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who dreamt it up at the age of 103.

And it’s a fine place for a sunset kombucha and gin.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260216-is-this-the-worlds-most-eye-popping-restaurant-the-architectural-marvel-in-a-leipzig-industrial-estate?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Architecture #OscarNiemeyer #Leipzig #Design #Europe #Germany #Restaurant

Gisèle Pelicot after the rape trial: “I now allow myself to be happy again”.

The courage Gisèle Pelicot showed during the trial of her rapists made her a hero to women around the world.

Here, she speaks about the difficult weeks in court and the source of her bravery.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260216-gisele-pelicot-after-the-rape-trial-i-now-allow-myself-to-be-happy-again?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#GisèlePelicot #SexualAbuse #Rape #Court #Trial #France

On this day in 1932, Adolf Hitler obtains German citizenship allowing him to run for Reichspräsident in the 1932 election.

On this day in 1948, in a coup d’état the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia takes control of government in Prague.

On this day in 1991, the Warsaw Pact is officially dissolved following the end of the Cold War.

On this day in 2010, Viktor Yanukovych is elected President of Ukraine, greatly shifting Ukraine’s politics.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

The nurses caring for new parents in the Netherlands.

All new mothers in the Netherlands have a legal right to “kraamzorg” – a unique form of maternity care in the days after they give birth.

Here’s how it transforms the “fourth trimester”.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260223-the-nurses-caring-for-new-parents-in-the-netherlands?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Parenting #Healthcare #Maternity #Health #Netherlands #Kraamzorg #MaternityCare

On this day in 1804, the world’s first steam locomotive, built by Richard Trevithick, departs from the Pen-y-darren ironworks in Wales.

On this day in 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish “The Communist Manifesto” in London.

On this day in 1916, the Battle of Verdun, one of the most devastating engagements of WWI, begins in northern France. It would become a symbol of French national determination.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

On this day in 1564, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (‘Michelangelo’), sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance, dies in Rome.

On this day in 1943, the Nazis arrest members of the non-violent White Rose resistance movement distributing pamphlets in Munich and execute key members soon after.

On this day in 2013, armed robbers steal diamonds worth €38 million in a raid at Brussels Airport.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

The 1386 Treaty of Windsor was a mutual defence pledge between Portugal and England and is the world’s oldest diplomatic alliance still in force.

The treaty was strengthened over centuries by various marriages between the royal families of Portugal and England.

#FactOfTheDay #Portugal #England

Though only Europe’s fourth-largest airport in passenger numbers, Amsterdam Schiphol has Europe’s largest number of runways, six.

Five runways exceed 3300 m, a shorter one for general aviation measures 2014 m, the various orientations providing wind resilience.

#FactOfTheDay #Aviation #Schiphol

What a list of Black Death survivors reveals about the way people recovered from plague.

Despite the deadliness of the disease, it was possible to recover from plague, and medieval chroniclers mention the possibility – however unlikely – of survival.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-what-a-list-of-black-death-survivors-reveals-about-the-way-people-recovered-from-plague?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Plague #BlackDeath #History #Europe #MiddleAges

Auschwitz survivor who returned to live in Germany dies aged 101.

Albrecht Weinberg survived Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen camps as well as three death marches and lost most of his family in the Holocaust before returning to Germany in his 80s.

Weinberg spent years teaching students about Nazi atrocities.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-auschwitz-survivor-who-returned-to-live-in-germany-dies-aged-101?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#AlbrechtWeinberg #Holocaust #Nazis #Jews #WW2 #History #Germany #Europe

On this day in 1898, prominent writer Émile Zola is convicted and imprisoned after publishing his open letter, “J’accuse…!”, which accuses the French government of antisemitism and wrongfully imprisoning Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

On this day in 1947, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in Geneva begins operations.

On this day in 1981, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero attempts a coup d’état in the Spanish Parliament.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

1916: The bloody battle of Verdun.

The small, French town was the site of one of the bloodiest chapters of World War I, where German and French soldiers battled for 300 days — with neither side emerging victorious.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260220-1916-the-bloody-battle-of-verdun?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Verdun #WWI #France #Germany #WorldWar1 #WW1 #History #BattleOfVerdun

On this day in 2005, in a referendum, 77% of Spain’s voters approve ratification of the proposed Constitution of the EU. Ultimately the Constitution did not take effect as voters in France and the Netherlands would reject it later that year.

On this day in 2014, dozens of Euromaidan anti-government protesters die in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv during the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, as protesters and police clash in the streets.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

On this day in 609, Pope Boniface I turns the Pantheon in Rome into a church.

On this day in 1909, the first edition of the Giro d’Italia long-distance multi-stage cycle race starts in Milan.

On this day in 1913, Igor Sikorsky’s design of the world’s first four-engine aircraft takes flight in St Petersburg.

On this day in 1950, the inaugural Formula One race takes place at Silverstone Circuit. It’s won by Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

These are the most beautiful hotels in Europe, according to Prix Versailles.

Prix Versailles has just named the world’s most beautiful hotels for 2026 – and of the 16 global properties selected for the architectural award, seven are in Europe.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260512-these-are-the-most-beautiful-hotels-in-europe-according-to-prix-versailles?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Architecture #Hotels #Luxury #Travel #Europe

On this day in 356, emperor Constantius II forbids the worship of pagan idols in the Roman Empire.

On this day in 1797, the Peace of Tolentino between Revolutionary France and the Papal States cedes Avignon, Venaissin, Ferrara, Bologna, and Romagna to France.

On this day in 1986, the Soviet Union launches the “Mir” Space Station. Shuttle-Mir cooperation between Russia and the US would pave the way for the International Space Station (ISS).

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

‘Disgusting’: The dark romance novel causing controversy in France.

An online petition has been launched in France to ban the sale of “Corps à coeur” (“Body to Heart”), the dark romance novel by French author Jessie Auryann that many readers have accused of trivialising the sexual abuse of minors.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260224-disgusting-the-dark-romance-novel-causing-controversy-in-france?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Literature #SexualAbuse #France #Books #Controversy #JessieAuryann #CorpsACoeur

The world’s best-sounding nightclub is in an unexpected place.

Since opening in late 2023, Open Ground, based in a reconstructed wartime bunker in the west German town of Wuppertal, has earned a reputation as one of the best-sounding nightclubs in the world.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-the-worlds-best-sounding-nightclub-is-in-an-unexpected-place?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Music #Nightclub #Germany #Wuppertal

On this day in 1429, Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans by the English, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.

On this day in 1899, Ernest Rutherford publishes his discovery of Alpha and Beta radiation.

On this day in 1927, aviators Nungesser and Coli take off from Paris for the first non-stop transatlantic flight. Their disappearance remains a mystery.

On this day in 1945, the end of WW2 in Europe marks Victory in Europe (VE) Day.

#OnThisDay #Europe #History #OTD #OnThisDayInEurope

The Madrid Codices: Leonardo da Vinci’s little known treasure in Spain.

On 13 February 1967, the Spanish National Library announced the discovery of the Madrid I and II codices, two manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci that had remained poorly catalogued for more than a century.

Now they are being digitised to make them accessible to the public.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260220-the-madrid-codices-leonardo-da-vincis-little-known-treasure-in-spain?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#LeonardoDaVinci #Science #Culture #Spain #Madrid #History #MadridCodices

Berlinale: Yellow Letters wins the Golden Bear award 2026.

The political drama directed by Ilker Çatak won the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival 2026.

The German-Turkish filmmaker accepted the Golden Bear from jury president Wim Wenders.

Other major winners included Salvation, Queen at Sea, and Rose.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260221-berlinale-yellow-letters-wins-the-golden-bear-award-2026?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#BerlinInternationalFilmFestival #Berlinale #Cinema #Germany #Film #Movie #YellowLetters #IlkerCatak

Stars descend on the red carpet as the Cannes Film Festival 2026 opens.

As usual in the build-up to the festival, off-screen events have dominated conversation, from the impact of AI on jobs, Hollywood’s decision to ghost the event and the under-representation of women directors.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260513-stars-descend-on-the-red-carpet-as-the-cannes-film-festival-2026-opens?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#CannesFilmFestival #Cinema #Film #France #AI #Hollywood #Women